Healthcare CEO and MHA Board Chair-Elect Mike Lauf gave an interview to the Chatham-based Cape Cod Chronicle newspaper, in which Lauf discussed how the health system has changed since he first took over as CEO 14 years ago, and his plans for its future.

“We had a system that didn’t speak to itself,” Lauf said. “All of the entities could have been just standalones. We didn’t have strong collaboration with our physicians. We didn’t have strong collaboration with our unions. We didn’t have strong collaboration with our community. We’ve worked so hard to repair that.”

Cape Cod Healthcare, like other systems, is not only expanding its footprint on its campuses, but is reaching into the communities it serves to bring care closer to homes. In the article, Lauf discusses Cape Cod Hospital’s recent urgent care facility in Orleans and the special problems the Cape faces due to its population quadrupling during the summer months.

The main campus is Hyannis is building a $215 million Barbey Patient Care Tower, part of which will house a cancer center and cardiac care ward, as well as family counseling, nutritional support, and laboratory space. Cape Cod Healthcare wrapped up a capital campaign in September that raised $143 million for the project.

Lauf also addressed behavioral health services on the Cape and how they’re paid for, as well as how difficult it is to hire workers considering the spiraling cost of housing on Cape Cod and across the state.

“We’ve chosen not to focus on housing as a huge detriment,” Lauf said. “We know it is, but we’re focused on creating enough opportunity to provide meaningful employment, meaningful salaries and wages to people who live here.”